Overview
- Algeria announced on Thursday that it was severing diplomatic relations with the UAE, summoned the Emirati ambassador and gave him 48 hours to leave the country.
- The Algerian defence ministry said it would close its airspace to UAE-registered aircraft while allowing UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers to continue until the end of 2026.
- The UAE’s foreign ministry said it hopes the decision will be temporary and stressed ties with the Algerian people, while a senior Emirati adviser publicly rejected vague accusations and urged clear diplomacy.
- Algiers framed the move as the culmination of years of clashes over Western Sahara, Israel normalisation, competition in the Sahel and alleged Emirati backing for regional actors and separatist contacts.
- The break could reshape North African alignments and practical ties between the two states, with immediate effects on diplomacy and travel and potential wider impacts on regional security and investment ties.